Many political pundits seem to rely on the general public's lack of knowledge of statistics and polling practices to spread their message. Consumers of data need to become savvy in learning how to understand statistics and polling data so that we can't be duped by their propaganda. The phrase, "Question everything!" should apply everyday as we try to make sense of the information being fed to us.
I previously published a blog post on what the consumer needs to know about polling. Good media sources should know how to analyze and present polling data. But, far too often they don't do their job. You can access this piece here: http://pageposts1123.blogspot.com/2014/09/whats-up-with-political-polls.html There is a National Council on Public Polls (NCPP) and they offer advice for consumers of polling data. I would encourage the reader to visit their website and learn how to question the information that we are being given. http://www.ncpp.org/?q=node/4
If you spend any time on the Internet, you know that it can be a great source for information and for misinformation. How does one determine the reliability of sources and information? Do you question an item or blindly pass it on because it agrees with your position? Do you desire to learn how to be a good consumer of information? If so, then I encourage you to read this article: http://www.cqpress.com/docs/cq_researcher_v18-27_internet_accuracy.pdf
It is from the website: http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/ which is "often the first source that librarians recommend when researchers are seeking original, comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news." From the about section: "Founded in 1923 as Editorial Research Reports, CQ Researcher is noted for its in-depth, unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the economy. Reports are published in print and online 44 times a year by CQ Press, an imprint of SAGE Publications."
This is a great resource for accurate, opinion free, information on a variety of topics. Hope this helps you on your quest to be a good consumer of information.
Pat, the CQPress article on Internet accuracy is definitely a must read. That article was actually written 8 years ago, in 2008, and things are worse now, in my opinion, because of the prevalence of Facebook memes and the tiny 140 character tweets. I am often frustrated by both liberal/Dem leaning people as well as right-leaning people who seem to accept a Facebook photo as valid. If it's on Facebook, they seem to think it is true. Sometimes there are sources are listed with the posting, but people either ignore the sources, or they download the photo and post it-- so the sources and other information originally attached to the photo go away. Of course, sometimes the photo is simply not true at all, no matter how many shares it gets.
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